Foreign Ministry announcement

31.03.2011

No. 106-E

According to information received by the Foreign Ministry, the organisation that carried out the abduction of seven Estonian citizens has been identified through co-operation with the Lebanese internal security forces. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet has stated that there are seven people in the group and currently four of them are in custody. “The interrogation of those who have been arrested and the gathering of information continue, so that we may uncover the location of the Estonian citizens,” said the foreign minister.

Paet said that a statement reached the Lebanese news portal Lebabon Files early this morning from an organisation called the Renaissance and Reform Movement. In its statement, the group declared that they have the abducted Estonian citizens and that demands would be issued later. The foreign minister said that as of right now the demands have not yet been stated.

Within the past few days Foreign Minister Urmas Paet has been in contact with many nations in the region in order to discuss co-operation in locating the Estonian citizens. “I have spoken to the foreign ministers of Turkey, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates on this subject. Late last night I had a phone conversation with the deputy foreign minister of Syria,” said Paet.

The foreign minister stated that the work of the Lebanese authorities, including the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior, internal security forces, and army, in finding and freeing the Estonian citizens deserves to be recognised.

Estonia, Lebanon and our international partners will continue working together to free the Estonian citizens.